When electrical properties of a semiconductor integrated circuit formed on a wafer and a liquid crystal display or the like are inspected, a probe card having a plurality of probe pins arranged is used. This inspection is ordinarily performed by bringing the probe pins into contact with semiconductor integrated circuit elements as inspection objects formed on the wafer and a plurality of electrode pads of the liquid crystal display or the like.
Tungsten (W) and an alloy thereof (W—Re alloy or the like), beryllium steel (Be—Cu), phosphor bronze (Cu—Sn—P) and a palladium alloy (Pd—Ag alloy) or the like are exemplified as materials for the probe pin conventionally used.